Season 3 format, cars, & tracks May 4th

by **IFCA GTDon** Fri Apr 05, 2024 10:16 am

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Season 3's format will be a return to what we once called the "IFCA Triple Crown Endurance Championship." It was designed to replicate driver exchanges as is done in IMSA's 24hrs of Daytona, 12hrs of Sebring and the WEC's 24hrs of LeMans etc.

This time we will offer 2 car classes and 5 races. Each class will have its own championship to compete for and each race will be 2hrs long. The driving duties are divided between 2 drivers per team. There is a limit of 6 teams per class, GTP (P-Class) and TA (R-Class).

Teammates do not have to drive the exact same car, but they do have to be together in the same class. Each round, drivers are permitted to switch out their cars but must remain in the class they started the season with.

In order to get on the grid only the top 6 teams in each class will be eligible. Your combined team average practice lap time @ Road America (the 1st race) is what it will take to get your team into the season.

Here's how the relay system works:

You and your teammate take turns (stints) in relay fashion. At the start, one driver will be the lead-off driver for the first stint, while the other driver drives (around the track) to the pit entrance to park at the pit exit, and then waits for his turn in ghosted form. Both of you will do 3 pit stops, and then a final mandatory pit at the end of lap 20.

Once you both have completed your mandated pit (4th and final pit at the end of lap 20), you both will leave the pits together for the first time to finish the remaining 10 laps together in tandem as a team.

Both drivers are required to pit on the same lap number for each pit stop. The first 3 pits can be whatever your team decides. It can be on lap 5, 9, and 17, or 4, 11, and 15, or even 2, 6, and 10. Whatever number your partner pits on, has to be the same lap number you pit on. The "goal" is for both drivers to get to the end of lap 20, and the mandatory 4th pit, as fast as possible, so you both can then finish the remaining 10 laps together and ahead of your rivals.

The simulated exchange of drivers happens whenever one teammate exits the pits and goes through the waiting ghosted teammate. Once "contact" is made, the waiting driver can then leave to start his stint while the tagging driver parks at pit exit to wait for his next stint. Everyone is required to pit at the end of the mandated pit/lap, which is a different designated number at every track.

With everyone having different pit strategies it becomes difficult and therefore fun to tell who is actually in the lead during the race, until teams start coming in on their mandatory 4th pit and you start to see 2 cars leaving the pits at the same time for the first time. And this is when the racing intensity actually begins. As the last 10 lap stint of laps begins, and as faster drivers from slower teams start to gain on slower drivers from faster teams the pressure increases!

In the end, the team with the best combined average finishing position wins! If there is a tie, the team with the best combined race lap average wins!

There will be a 4lap qualifier prior to each race to set the grid. The starts will be rolling starts.

IFCA car handicaps will be enforced based on your skill rating.

GTP (P-Class)
1.) 2023 Cadillac #01 Cadillac Racing V-Series R
2.) 2010 Chevrolet #55 Level 5 Motorsports Oreca FLM09
3.) 1999 BMW #15 Motorsport V12 LMR
4.) 1985 Nissan #83 GTP ZX-Turbo

TA (R-Class)
1.) 2020 Chevrolet #3 Corvette Racing C8.R
2.) 2019 Dodge #9 American Road Racing TA Challenger
3.) 2018 Chevrolet #23 Ruman Racing TA Corvette
4.) 2018 Ford #98 Breathless Pro Racing TA Mustang

5.) 2018 Cadillac #57 TA CTS-V

Tracks
Road America May 11th

Watkins Glen full May 18th
Daytona 24hr May 25th
Sebring or Spa June 1st
LeMans June 8th

Car builds have been published here:

https://ifca.forumotion.com/t6907-season-3-fm-car-builds

We want the skill levels to be closer together and we want the podium finishers to be treated equally as Pro level drivers. What this does, is helps the rest of the field to stay closer to the leaders. Rather than just 1 driver (the winner) turning Pro each race, the top 3 drivers will turn Pro. This will help shrink the gaps between the top guys and the rest of the field.

These are the new skill level designations after each race:

Single driver races
1,2,3, Podium = Pro
4-7 = Platinum
8-11 = Gold
12-15 = Silver
16-19 = Bronze
20-24 = Copper

Relay 2-man Team races
1-2 = Pro
3-4 = Platinum
5-6 = Gold
7-8 = Silver
9-12 = Bronze

by **IFCA GTDon** Sat Apr 06, 2024 2:46 pm

updated

Season 3 format, cars, & tracks May 4th

Season 3 format, cars, & tracks May 4th

Re: Season 3 format, cars, & tracks May 4th